Ann Arbor News - Monday, May 1

Morning, Ann Arbor! Happy start of May! A couple of things to know this AM:

• Ann Arbor's seasonal Wednesday farmers market returns this week

• The 2023 Sonic Lunch line-up has been announced

• The Humane Society of Huron Valley warned Parvo is up 60% locally

• 9 Michigan football players were selected in last weekend's NFL draft

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Read Time: 2.5 minutes

Reader Count: 369 townies

Percent of Ann Arbor Reading: 0.308%

ANN ARBORITES SHOULD KNOW

🍗 Chick-Fil-A in A2: A developer is proposing a Chick-Fil-A at the old Washtenaw Denny’s location (3310 Washtenaw Avenue). Last week, when petitioning the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals about a land use buffer law, developers showed their future plans for the location. While site plans have not formally been submitted to the city, early indications are that the old Denny’s would be removed and replaced with an entirely new building. If built, the location would be the city's first Chick-Fil-A.

🔋 Electric Vehicle Center: The state of Michigan has granted U of M $130 million to build an Electric Vehicle Center. Approved in the 2022 - 2023 fiscal budget, the center will train future EV workers and serve as a research and development hub for new EV technology. The project is the state’s latest step to cement itself in the center of the EV industry.

🛫 Willow Run Airport: After receiving $26 million in federal funding 2021, Ypsi’s Willow Run Airport will receive an additional $12.7 million from the Federal Aviation Administration. Announced last week by U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor), the funding will go to creating a new parallel taxiway. Responsible for more than 200 million pounds of cargo annually, Willow Run Airport is a key player in local and regional supply chains.

🎭 Oklahoma! Without Guns: Days before opening night, Ann Arbor Public Schools ordered Pioneer High School’s theater program to remove all guns and gun-related sound effects from the musical in light of the nation’s “ongoing epidemic of gun violence”. Based in 1906 Oklahoma, cowboys with prop six-shooters on their hips are typically commonplace in the show. After negotiations, the theater program agreed to eliminate all gun instances that are “not central to the plot”.

MICHIGANDERS SHOULD KNOW

🦼 All-Terrain Wheelchairs: 3 more Michigan state parks will be receiving all-terrain wheelchairs this summer bringing the total of state parks with such wheelchairs up to 14. The $15,000 - $20,000 wheelchairs are free to rent and can go through deep waters, loose sand, and other traditionally difficult terrains. A complete list of state parks with useable all-terrain wheelchairs can be found on the state’s official website.

🚌 Heroic Seventh Grader: Last week, 13-year-old Dillon Reeves of Warren, MI sprung into action when his school bus driver fell unconscious at the wheel. The observant middle schooler steered the bus to a safe stop while yelling for his classmates to call 911. Dillon and his family were honored at a community-wide ceremony for his quick-thinking bravery.

🍔 Burger King to Cannabis: Stiiizy, a California-based cannabis company with a production facility and retail locations in Michigan, is offering jobs to 400 recently laid-off Burger King employees. After the franchise owner of more than two dozen Metro Detroit Burger Kings announced restaurant closings last month, Stiiizy seized the opportunity to add employees to its growing business.

☕️ Caribou Coffee Takeover: Caribou Coffee, a coffeehouse chain owned by Panera Brands company, has announced plans to open 300 new locations domestically, 50+ of which will be in Michigan. While exact locations have not been named, expect to see Caribou’s reindeer logo pop up all across the mitten.

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That's all for now! Next Michigander comes out Thursday

- Andrew

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P. S. S. - An Ann Arbor City Council member donated their $25,000 annual salary to the UMich GEO strike fund